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“You’ll be glad tomorrow. The jet lag is much worse going back because we lose six hours. This’ll help you go to sleep at a normal time tonight.”
“No it won’t, because I’m going right back to sleep.”
“No, you’re not, because I’m not going to let you.”
“Ha! You can try.” She pulled the lever to lean her seat back.
“We have things to discuss—like how we’re going to handle your transition.”
“What transition?”
“Your transition to CMA. The problem is I still need a PA.”
“You’re moving me? To Contract, Merger and Acquisition? I thought that was just a ploy.”
“No, you’ve already proven yourself. And we’ll need you to work with these companies in the months ahead, now you’ve established a working relationship.”
“But I don’t have any business education. No one in that department would have any respect for me.”
“Yes. I’ve been thinking, you might want to take some night courses. Gherring Inc. would pay for them.”
“Wait! Just stop for a second and let me think. This is a bit too much all at one time.” She put her head in her hands, rubbing her forehead.
“And I’ll have to get another PA. We can probably still get the candidate I planned to hire before you arrived and shook things up. I think her name was Lana Stewart. Don’t you want this? You’ll get a raise, of course.”
“I… I just need to think…”
“You’ve got six hours to think. Are you awake now?”
“Oh yeah. I’m awake for sure.”
Anne’s heart was contracting in her chest. Was this a promotion? She guessed so, but maybe it was simply his way of getting rid of her. In the CMA department, she’d hardly ever see him. She couldn’t turn this down—it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He’d even offered to pay for further education. She could eventually get her MBA. Her dad had always been a little disappointed she hadn’t used her degree. He’d told her, “You were made for great things!” But she’d felt fulfilled just raising her children. And now her children didn’t need her anymore…
Wasn’t this what she really wanted? A chance to be challenged? A chance to be more than just a secretary? Why wasn’t she thrilled? She knew the answer. She’d looked forward to seeing Steven Gherring each day, even when they didn’t interact a lot. Now, after spending so much time with him, she realized how much she was going to miss him. She felt desolate already.
The plane’s engines droned, and her head hurt. Maybe it was from lack of sleep, or maybe it was from worrying about his plans to m
ove her to a new job in a new department. But whatever the reason, it hurt so much she couldn’t think anymore.
She glanced at Gherring, who was reading a newspaper. “Do you have anything for a headache? Ibuprofen? Aspirin?”
Gherring’s eyebrows knit together. “Sure. Is it a migraine?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but started for the back of the plane and returned quickly with two ibuprofens and a bottle of water.
“So, how bad is it?”
“It’s not a migraine. I think it’s just a tension headache.”
He sat down next to her. “Okay, call me crazy, but you don’t seem too happy about this promotion. What’s going on?”
What could she say to him? I just want to be your PA so I can stay close to you? Ha! That would go over like a lead balloon. She could never let him know. He would send her farther away than the CMA department.
It was probably an answer to prayer. If she continued as his PA, she might actually fall in love with him. Think how miserable she would be then.
But her feelings were still hurt that he’d so readily sent her away. She couldn’t blame him, though. Especially since she was in a relationship with his nemesis. What did she expect?
“Anne? What’s wrong?”
“How soon would we make the switch?”
